ALT EFF is a platform that inspires and mobilises communities to take action toward co-creating a sustainable future, locally and at large. As an environmental film festival, our mission is to engage the public on the environment and social issues of our time, through an informed, creative and experiential discourse.

With plenty of global flair and Indian flavour, ALT EFF aims to be a unique experience amongst environmental film festivals. We showcase groundbreaking and compelling films that exhibit the beauty of our planet and create awareness about critical climate and social issues, leaving audiences feeling inspired to envision and shape our possible futures.

ALT EFF encourages dialogue, debate, participation and action to build collective power for climate action. Through the Sustainable Living Market (and other initiatives), ALT EFF brings together emerging ideas - showcasing sustainability in practice and providing opportunities for festival-goers to engage with the same. We work with film makers and creatives, ensuring their work reaches audiences around the world. In the future, we intend to use their work to engage local communities in sustainability thinking and action.

ALT EFF interweaves local knowledge and culture from the Western Ghats of India, with global perspectives on the environmental challenges of our time. What sets us apart is our lush mountain town, the home of ALT EFF - quaintly nestled in the old-growth forests of the Western Ghats.

In 2022, ALT EFF will be realised physically for the first time, with attendees making their way to the mountains to cosy up, watch films, play games, make merry and join hands for climate action!

In Panchgani's winter abundance, we will host barter and exchange, facilitate fruitful conversation and create safe spaces for budding collective action.
Come gather with us again, in 2022!

Awards & Prizes

Best of Festival Award: Rs 1,00,000 (USD 1325)

5Hills Award for best short: Rs 20,000 (USD 240)
5Hills Award for best feature: Rs 30,000 (USD 360)

Bhoomi Award for best Indian Short: Rs 20,000 (USD 240)
Bhoomi Award for best Indian Feature: Rs 30,000 (USD 360)

Red Earth Award for the best Animated film Rs 20,000 (USD 240)
Red Earth Award for the best film submitted by students or first time film-maker: Rs 20,000 (USD 240)

The above awards are the minimum prize pool currently available; however based on securing additional funding, additional prize categories may be introduced or the above prizes increased at the sole discretion of ALT EFF.

Rules & Terms

THE KIND OF FILMS WE WILL CONSIDER
ALT EFF will consider all genres of environmental and sustainability themed films including documentary, non-fiction, fiction and animation, amongst others.

Shorts - Under 30 mins including credits
Feature - Over 30 mins and under 120 mins including credits

LANGUAGE
English is the official language of ALT EFF; all non-english language films must have English subtitles (where there is dialogue).

DATE AFTER WHICH THE FILM HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND WORK IN PROGRESS FILMS
1 January 2020 or later.
We accept both completed films, and works in progress*.
*Work in progress films have to be entered via FilmFreeway prior to the deadline; please provide a note in the submission and provide a link to the password protected online screener as soon as possible. We will need to see a rough cut of whatever you have ready prior to the submission deadline. If the film is accepted, we will need a final version by 15 June 2022.

FORMATS
Film submissions must be provided via an online screener, with a link and password (if required). If selected, films will need to be supplied in DCP and/or .mp4 and/or .mov for screening purposes.

FILM MARKETING AND ATTENDANCE
If your film is accepted to be part of ALT EFF, you will help market the screening of your film through all of your available channels (email, social media, website, etc.).
The Festival strongly encourages finalist film directors and associated staff (actors/athletes, screenwriters, producers, etc.) to attend the festival. A portion of the programming will be provided to you for audience discussion and interaction. On the Submission Form, please indicate whether the director, producer, other members of the creative team, or actors are available to attend the Festival, if the film is selected. We are also open to online attendance of panels or other festival-related events.
All finalists are responsible for their own travel expenses.

RIGHTS AND PROMO USE
By entering a film for consideration to ALT EFF, the submitter understands that they own or control the film's copyright and are duly authorised to submit the film to the ALT EFF. By submitting films to ALT EFF, candidates thereby grant ALT EFF to obtain full access permission to the film.

ALT EFF reserves the right to copy and use any publicity materials (photographs, film stills, trailers, and film segments up to 3 minutes) for non-commercial promotional purposes and for archival material, at no additional cost.

ALT EFF and its partners are not responsible for any claims connected with the film.

4 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Roberto Zamora

    Although I wasn't able to attend in person, I have to say they were very responsive and organized. Always got back to me when I needed help. Their selection is awesome! I checked out some of the films in the competition and loved what I saw. Best of energies.

    December 2021
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  • Janis Steele

    Great film festival with heart! Thanks for including our project, Immuto. The organizers were helpful communicators and we were pleased to participate in one of the end of festival panels. Best wishes in the future to this great festival!

    January 2021
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  • aayush dudhiya

    Excellent management, engagement, jury, and selections. Kuddos to the team. :)

    December 2020
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  • Christoph Pohl

    Wonderful first edition of this new environmental film festival in (or times of pandemics better out of) Panchgani, India. Great communication, fantastic selections of films and beautiful graphic design of their website and socila media. Can't wait to attend one of their future festivals in person and visit the hillstation.

    December 2020
    Helpful